1/2NL

Hero: Tight image (card dead) played few pots. All of which were for open raises in EP.
V1: LP Middle aged Asian man
V2: Elderly senior gentleman

Effective stack $300

Hero raised $7 UTG w QQ
V2: UTG+1 flats
V1: BB calls

Pot: $22
Flop: A A 5

V1: donk leads $10
Hero (Thinks: "What would I do with Aces, or AK/AQ here?" and "I don't have an ace, so which of these 2 has it?") and calls to assess...
V2: (surprisingly) over calls

(Hero thinks: Old man overcalls? Now I'm really nervous!)

Pot: $52

Turn: 9

Board: A A 5 9

V1: Checks (Hero thinks: "Okay, V1 flopped 2 pair w a 5, or thinks his small pair (flopped 2 pair) was good. Hence the weak lead and has shut down, sooo... V2 must have the ace...")
Hero: Checks
V2: Checks (Hero thinks: WTF are you flatting with UTG+1 calling flop and checking with here? JJ or less, not KK... Could it?! Is he trapping with an ace then, or is my hand actually best here?")

Pot: $52

River: A

Board: A A 5 9 A

V1: Bets $30
Hero: (Thinks: "OMG, the f#*%ing Asian does have an ace! But then again.... he might think his 5 is now good here?? But all other pocket pairs just bested him... I don't want to call with V2 left to act and come alive here for a big river shove. I can not fold this hand (I have a boat here but it's a strong "absolute" hand, but it's not a very strong "relative" hand and I'm not raising to find out that one of these 2 is sitting in the bush with quads... I have to pick the lesser evil here and call")

Hero: calls
V2: (amazingly!) overcalls

We have all paused briefly...

If you are me, do you voluntarily turn your hand up, or do you wait to see who has the ace... or what?

(Long walk to ask a simple question, but this is actually important)

Thanks!

In any 1/2 game I have ever played in if you ask, "does anyone have an ace,?"they jump out of their chair to tell you. Rarely do villains pay attention to showdown order. And never if they have quads

In different card rooms the rulings are different. I've been places where its aggressor shows first. I've been places where its closest to button shows first. Never show your cards unless you have a reason to.

I'm flipping only if rules say I should or if I have the nuts. And if the person i'm playing is a d-bag, I have the nuts, and they bet AI in to me, i'll let them flip first and tell them I paid to see their cards and am just following the rules. Yeah that's right, i'll sink to that level.

I generally agree with this, however I think there are exceptions:

1) If showing first means letting a fish you think has a weak hand muck face down. This keeps them from feeling embarrassed and possibly leaving.

2) If I have the nuts and there are a bunch of players in the hand - just get it over with, the added information is probably not that valuable when you
consider how annoyed players will be when you "slow-roll" the nuts.

In this situation, I wait and follow SD order.

V1 shows first because you both called him. You show next. Why is this so hard?